10 Strategies to Kick-Start Your Weight Loss in Perimenopause and Menopause

Perimenopause and menopause are a time when your hormones will be fluctuating massively and ultimately levels will be falling.

As well as all the other symptoms you may start to experience at this time, such as hot flushes, poor sleep, anxiety, bloating and joint pain, you may also find that you’re gaining weight, mostly around your middle, and it’s much harder to shift it than when you were in your 30s.

Take a look at these 10 strategies to get you losing weight right now, and feeling comfortable in your clothes again.

1: Eat the Right Foods in the Right Proportions

Finding the right way to eat to support your fluctuating hormones and lose weight is not impossible.

Make sure you are filling up on good-quality protein, such as meat and fish, eggs, Greek yoghurt, nuts and seeds, beans and pulses, and tofu. Always include a source of protein in every meal or snack you have to help keep your blood sugar levels balanced and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Include plenty of non-starchy vegetables, such as leafy greens, salad veggies, peppers, mushrooms, etc.

Starchy carbs are not the enemy, but opt for brown or wholemeal versions, and be mindful of not making these the main focus of your meals.

Don’t forget “healthy” fats, such as oily fish, nuts and seeds, olives and avocados.

2: Eat Slower

Making sure to slow down your eating and chew your food thoroughly is vital to support the digestion process and absorption of nutrients.

Eating slowly gives your stomach and brain time to communicate and let you know when you’ve had enough to eat.

3: Keep an Eye on the Extras

Think about what condiments you are using (such as ketchup and other sauces).

The healthiest condiments include regular mustard (this contains no sugar, just a little vinegar and salt), vinegar, olive oil (for dressings), natural herbs and spices, horseradish, pesto, lemon or lime juice, soy sauce, tahini, most salsas, most bottled hot sauces like Tabasco, and capers.

Be cautious around high-sugar condiments, such as ketchup, brown sauce, barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, commercial salad dressings, tomato-based chilli sauce, Thai sweet chilli sauce, tartar sauce, plum sauce, sweet and sour sauce, Teriyaki sauce, and jams, jellies and other preserves.

4: Drink More Water

Keeping well hydrated will help with your digestion, concentration, energy levels, skin and much more.

And often, it is very easy to confuse hunger with thirst.

Aim for about 2 litres of fluid intake a day (herbal teas count here, but not caffeinated drinks).

And just watch your intake of sugar-laden drinks, like fruit smoothies, cordials, fizzy drinks and wine.

5: Flush Out Toxins

Your liver has some really important roles in your body, including getting rid of the toxins we are absorbing on a daily basis (for example, petrochemicals from the environment and the synthetic oestrogens found in most ‘normal’ skincare products).

It also helps your body to mobilise stored fat and use it as fuel.

When your liver is overburdened, it just won’t allow your body to mobilise fat stores.

Good hydration and healthy digestion are really important here to keep everything moving and flushing through.

6: Support Your Liver

You can help give your liver a break by easing up on all those things it needs to work so hard to get rid of.

-       Cut back on caffeine and alcohol.

-       Rethink your personal care products (shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, body lotions). Avoid anything that contains parabens or sodium lauryl sulfate as these are synthetic oestrogens and contribute to hormone imbalance.

-       Rethink your household cleaning products for exactly the same reason. Switch to natural cleaning brands such as Ecover or make your own.

-       Eat organic if your budget allows.

-       Add in plenty of liver-boosting foods to your diet (such as sulphur-rich foods: garlic, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cabbage). Beetroot and carrots also stimulate the detoxification process. Leafy green veggies are great for mopping up environmental toxins from the blood stream.

-       Start the day with hot water and lemon. The citric acid encourages your liver to produce bile, which helps you excrete toxins.

-       Turmeric and cinnamon also support optimum liver function.

7: Make Exercise Part of Your Daily Routine

Exercise is really important for perimenopausal and menopausal women.

Regular exercise helps you to burn energy and lose weight, plus it strengthens your muscles and bones, boosts your energy levels and improves your mood.

Weight-bearing exercise and strength training are particularly beneficial for mid-life women, as is walking.

8: Include Stress-Lowering Activities Every Day

Midlife women are often juggling work, children, older parents plus their perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms are making them feel rubbish, so their stress levels go through the roof.

And stress plays a big part in weight loss. Elevated levels of the stress hormone (cortisol) can knock blood sugar out of balance, keep cravings in full flow and ensure fat stays around the middle.

A stressed body will hold onto everything, and weight loss will be almost impossible.

Aim to do at least 1 thing from this list every day to calm your nervous system, push you out of fight-or-flight, and strengthen your stress response: 

-         Deep belly breathing (4-7-8 breathing: inhale through the nose for 4 sec, hold your breath for 7 sec, then exhale through your mouth for 8 sec; aim to complete 4 cycles (don't exceed more than 4 breaths) twice a day

-         Meditation (try the Calm app)

-         Singing

-         Massage (especially feet)

-         Cold water exposure - splash your face with cold water, turn shower to cold at the end, open air swimming - start slow, and build up

-         Laughter

9: Investigate Your Hormones

Some common hormone imbalances can work against you when you want to lose weight.

-       Thyroid hormones

The thyroid is the body’s internal motor. Low levels are typically linked to low energy, constipation, low sex drive, cold hands and feet, a disappearing outer third of your eyebrow, and an inability to lose weight. If any of these resonate, it’s worth asking your GP to test your thyroid levels. And, even if you have a diagnosis and are taking thyroxine, it’s entirely possible that you still don’t feel great because the hormone the doctor measures is only part of the picture.

-       Oestrogen

Fluctuating and decreasing levels of oestrogen at perimenopause and menopause can contribute to weight gain.

If you suspect that any of these hormones might be out of sync for you, then get in touch as I regularly use private lab tests with my clients to give more information on hormone levels.

10: Get Some Guidance, Support + Accountability

Weight loss is not impossible during perimenopause and menopause.

BUT you need to understand how to nourish your body and support your changing hormones in order to achieve weight loss AND sustain that weight loss.

As a Menopause Nutritionist and Health Coach, I help perimenopausal and menopausal women balance their hormones, change how they think about food and lose weight for good.

They regain control of food, and have the confidence to live their lives without being ruled by what they eat.

If you can relate to this and you’ve had enough of trying and trying to lose weight with no success, then message me to apply for my 12-week, 1-to-1 programme - FREEDOM 1:1 or apply HERE.